Limited
by Meikakuna
Summary: Len is a slave who has feelings with his master Gakupo. Gakupo allows him to run some errands for him, leading to meet a kindhearted salesman named Kaito. Will he stay with Gakupo or escape with Kaito? Rated T for dark and mature themes
1. Chapter 1- You're The Only One I Trust

**Chapter One- You're The Only One I Can trust**

Len walked up the stairs while holding a tray of delicious breakfast that he made himself. He desperately wanted to eat the eggs, bacon and French toast himself but he tried his best to obey his master.

He knocked on the door to his master's bedroom with a smile. "Master Kamui, I made you some breakfast!" he told Gakupo cheerfully. His smile turned into a frown when he saw who was sleeping next to Gakupo. "G-good morning, Gumi. I hope you had a pleasant sleep."

Gumi sat up and rubbed her eyes. She tucked a strand of green hair behind her ear. "It was alright, I guess. I feel good that I had the privilege of being with Master Kamui."

Len sighed. He should have been used to Gakupo spending the night with his female slaves but for some reason he was still upset.

"I… I'll just leave this here then." Len put the tray down in front of Gakupo, who took a cigarette out of his mouth and looked at the food with greedy eyes. "Shall I prepare some breakfast for Gumi?" Gakupo nodded.

Another thing that annoyed Len was the fact that whenever a slave spent the night with Gakupo, she would have good food in the morning, only to go back to living in squalor minutes later.

Why couldn't Len have what Gumi had, if only for one night and one morning? Len touched his Adam's apple. 'Of course,' he thought to himself. 'How silly of me.'

Len walked out of the room and down the stairs. He saw Miku and smiled at her. Miku had a frown on her face.

"Gumi gets her turn _again_?" she asked. "How many times has that been?"

"Well, maybe she needs higher morale," Len explained. "At least you get your turn."

Miku gave Len a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I forgot. I can be so rude sometimes. So when are you going to confess to him?"

If there was any drink in his mouth, Len would have spit it out, but unfortunately his throat was consistently dry.

"Why would you ask a thing like that?"

Miku's smile grew bigger as she grabbed Len's hands. "If you confess, maybe you'll get to spend the night with him!"

Len put a finger up to Miku's lips. "Shh! Don't be ridiculous. Even Lily has a higher chance of being with him than me."

"No way. At least you don't try to run away. Jeez, I'm surprised Lily isn't dead already. I almost want to ask her how it feels to be put in a bamboo box in the sun."

"Maybe you'd find out for yourself if you actually misbehaved for once. And besides, you haven't confessed to Gakupo, so why should I?"

"I don't need to." Len huffed and walked away. Miku followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Just be careful, okay? What would I do if you got hurt?"

Len smiled and gave Miku a small hug. He walked into the kitchen and began preparing Gumi's breakfast. Rin walked in and jokingly poked Len's shoulder, causing Len to drop two eggs onto the floor.

"D-don't scare me like that, sis!"

Rin laughed. "You're such a baby. Why are you making breakfast for Gakupo again?" Len picked up the egg yolks and put them in the bin. "Let me guess, it's _that _night again, isn't it? When am I getting my turn?"

"We're both too young for that."

Rin smirked. "Did you just say 'we'? You didn't tell me you were-"

"I think you have some jobs to do if I'm not mistaken." Rin frowned and left the room. Len prepared eggs again. When he was finished, he put them on a piece of toast. He turned around and shivered when he saw Gakupo standing in front of him.

"M-Master! It's rare to see you in the kitchen, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Gakupo asked.

"Well, I have to give this to Gumi first." Len held up his tray.

"Gumi's breakfast can wait." Len put the tray back on the table. "How do I put this? Well, a little bird told me that you like me."

"O-of course I like you, Master. If you weren't here Rin and I would be living on the streets. One million 'thank yous' wouldn't be enough."

"I mean to say that you apparently like me romantically. Is it true that you _love_ me?"

"I would never dare love someone as high up as you romantically. Such an emotion would be disrespectful to say the least."

Gakupo gave Len the sweetest sounding laugh he had ever heard. "What are you, a Shakespeare character? There's something else I would like to ask you. I have some errands for you."

"Of course."

"These errands will take place outside the house. Can you handle that? I don't trust anyone more than I trust you, especially since I now know of your feelings for me."

"I don't have-"

"I can see it in your eyes. I'm shocked that I didn't notice before." Gakupo brushed Len's fringe away and leaned in closer, causing Len's cheeks to become as red as a cherry. "Like I said, you're the one I trust the most. You would never try to leave me like Lily, would you?"

Len shook his head, suddenly noticing how long and beautiful Gakupo's fingernails looked. Gakupo smiled and stepped back. "I want you to buy some things for me at the market. I'm sick and tired of having to deal with those pesky protesters. Here's the list and here's some money." Len took the list and money out of Gakupo's hands before bowing.

He picked up the tray and gave it to Gumi upstairs. He then walked down the stairs and out the door, putting the money in his pocket.

He looked to his side and saw a bamboo box lying on the grass. 'When is Lily ever going to learn?' he wondered.

A protester tried to talk to Len but he ignored her. He breathed in the fresh air and walked over to the marketplace, which he could see from the house.

His nose crinkled when a variety of odours assaulted his sense of smell. The aroma of perfume clashed with the smell of food and sweat.

The sun was bright but the market was dark due to the shades on top of the stalls. Len looked around for a stall that sold fruit. He eventually found a stall that had apples in different colours in front of it. Behind the table was a young man with electric blue hair.

"How can I help you?" the man asked. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you new here or are you just visiting this town? I've never seen you around here before."

"I live in his town but this is the first time I've gone to the market," Len answered. "I'll take twenty apples, please."

The man laughed. Len thought that his laugh was almost as sweet as Gakupo's. "Are you trying to feed an entire army or something?"

"No, it's just that Mas… Mr Kamui likes to eat a lot, so… oh no, I've said too much. I have to go. It was nice to meet you, Mr…"

"Mr Shion, but you can call me Kaito. What's your name?" Kaito held out his hand and Len shook it. Len remembered to shake the man's hand firmly, a lesson he learned from watching Gakupo shake hands with his associates.

"I'm Len." Kaito gave Len a bag of apples and Len gave Kaito money. Len looked at his list and walked over to another stall.

After going to each stall he needed to go to, Len walked back home, struggling to carry several heavy plastic bags.

The same protester he ignored earlier walked up to him. "Are you one of Mr Kamui's slaves?" she asked, holding her sign up. The sign had the words 'Down with Cruelty' on it.

"What is your opinion on the new bill that will make slavery illegal?" another protester inquired.

A third protester put his sign down. "How does Mr Kamui treat you?" he asked. Len turned away from the protesters and rushed inside the house.

He sighed and walked into the kitchen, where he dropped his bags on the table. 'If slavery didn't exist, I wouldn't be here.'

"How did it go?" Gakupo asked from behind Len, causing Len to jump.

"I-I found everything you w-wanted me to."

Gakupo smiled and walked upstairs, leaving Len alone in the kitchen, though not for long. A girl with long pink hair entered the kitchen.

"Hi Luka," Len greeted the woman politely. Luka smiled.

"How's it going, Len?"

"Aren't you supposed to be working in the fields right now?"

"I'm taking a break."

"Master Kamui wouldn't be too happy to hear that."

"Whatever. I don't care about what he thinks."

Len frowned. "You're almost as bad at Lily." Luka shrugged. "Are you the one who told Master about my feelings for him?"

Luka's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Wait... did you just say what I think you said? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, I forgot that I never told you. Just don't tell Master any of my other secrets, okay?"

Luka nodded. "I won't tell a soul. You know, I've never met anyone who's as submissive to Master as you. You must really love him to put up with him this much."

Len nodded and smiled. "I've loved him ever since I can remember."


	2. Chapter 2- So we meet again

**Chapter Two- So we meet again**

'Why won't those stupid protesters ignore me?' Len wondered as he walked past the people who were carrying signs. He coughed as he made his way to the fruit stall Kaito was at, hoping to see him again for some reason. 'Perhaps I want to see him because he's someone from outside. I didn't realise how nice it feels to be outside after years of being in Gakupo's house.'

He saw Kaito smile at him and smiled back. "How's it going?" Kaito asked.

Len coughed. "I'm fine, I guess." He coughed again.

"Would you like twenty apples again?" Len nodded and coughed yet again. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing. I'm just a little thirsty, that's all." Len's coughing became louder and more frequent.

"Would you like to have a drink? You sound like you've never had much to drink. There's a cheap café nearby and I've almost finished my shift."

"Th-thank you, but I don't think I can-"

"I'll pay."

"Master Kamui-"

"Master?"

"I mean, uh, Mister Kamui wouldn't want me to go."

"Do you live with him? Well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind you relaxing for a bit, but if you don't want to go that's okay."

"No, I want to go. I'll go with you. Thanks." Kaito stared at his watch and smiled. He looked up and saw a man with dark skin and black spiky hair walk up to the stall.

"Hey, Kaito. Am I late for my shift?"

Kaito shook his head. "You're right on time, Wil. Meet Len. He's my new friend."

Len blushed slightly. "F-friend?" he stammered.

Kaito looked at Len sadly. "Oh, I'm sorry. You probably don't want to be my friend. I'm so stupid. I mean, we hardly even know each other and-"

"It's fine. I guess you can call me your friend. This is the first time I've had a friend outside the house." Len put a hand on his heart and smiled.

Wil smirked. "You're acting like someone who's never seen the light of day. Are you a sl-"

"I think we better get going now, Kaito," Len interrupted. Kaito nodded and got out of the stall. Len followed the man like a duckling to a café with a sign that said "Café Chat-Chat."

Len looked at the cakes inside the window with awe. Kaito giggled when he saw Len act in such a way.

"Have you already found something you'd like to eat?"

Len nodded but frowned. "I shouldn't have any more than a drink. I'd be asking for too much."

"Wow, you're like some sort of martyr or something. Do you ever let yourself have fun?"

"Mast… Mr Kamui doesn't take too kindly to me having fun."

"That's a shame. Well, just enjoy today." Kaito and Len sat at a table near the window. A waitress walked up to the table and asked if she could take Kaito and Len's order. "I'll have an ice chocolate. What do you want, Len?"

Len looked shyly at the menu. "I'll have an ice chocolate too, if I can." Kaito nodded and the waitress walked away. "So, um, how long have you worked at that stall?"

"About two years," Kaito answered. "I might have to work a few months more if I want to get enough money to reach my dream."

"What's your dream?"

"I want to become a famous singer. I've got the talent for it, if you don't mind me saying so, but I would love to get better by having a singing teacher. I just know that I can make it big."

Len wasn't sure if he should encourage Kaito or tell him that life wasn't that easy. "My parents wanted to make it big. They died before they could make it, sadly."

"Really? I didn't know that." Len raised an eyebrow, surprised that Kaito didn't say sorry. When he told the other slaves about his parents, they apologised to him.

Kaito noticed Len's facial expression and blushed. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry. What did I say wrong?" He stroked his chin. "Oh, I forgot to apologise to you for your parents' death. I am so sorry. Oh god, what's wrong with me?"

Len giggled. Kaito smiled. "Wow, your giggle's really cute."

"What?" Len's face turned redder than it was when Kaito called him his friend.

"Your smile's nice, too.

Len was reminded of the way Gakupo acted towards the female slaves on the nights they got to spend with him.

"Are you flirting with me?" Len asked as his eyes narrowed.

Kaito's eyes were filled with innocence. "What made you think that?"

Len averted his gaze. "Never mind. So what's this ice chocolate like? I've never had one before."

Kaito's smile grew. "You haven't lived till you've tried it! So if you're not supposed to have fun, what do you do all the time?"

Len had a feeling that Kaito would not accept him if he knew that he was a slave. Ever since he was little he knew that slaves were mocked by the masses.

"Um… I cook," Len replied. Well, it wasn't a lie. "I love to cook. Um… that's why I don't usually go to cafés."

"What kind of things do you cook?"

"A range of things. Mr Kamui especially likes it when I cook something with eggplant in it."

"You cook for Mr Kamui? Are you his chef or something?"

"Yes. I'm his cook." The waitress returned to the table with two ice chocolates. "Wow, is this it?" Len took a sip of the drink. He grinned. "This is amazing! You're right; I wasn't living until I had this!"

"I'm glad you like it," Kaito said. "So anyway, I wish I could cook well. All I can really do is sing and sell fruit. It's pretty sad, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't say that. You'll have to sing me a song, though. What songs do you like to sing?"

"Well… there's a song a friend of mine wrote for me a while back. It's called Cantarella. Would you like to hear it?" Len nodded and became entranced by Kaito's voice. It was deep and beautiful. It reminded Len of Gakupo's voice.

That and their laughs were their only similarities. From Len's perspective Gakupo was more powerful and in control than Kaito.

* * *

Gakupo went to the basement downstairs, where the slaves slept. 'He's not here either. He should have done his errands by now. Where is he?' He walked back up to the ground level and stepped towards a female slave with short brown hair.

"Meiko, where is Len?" he asked her.

"I have no idea, Master Kamui."

Gakupo smirked and leaned in closer, whispering in the woman's ear. "I want you to find him. You're the only one I trust, so I want you to watch over him for a little. Report back to me before he goes home."

"What's in it for me?"

Gakupo tried and succeeded in refraining from slapping Meiko for being difficult. Instead he wrapped his arms around Meiko's shoulders.

"If you do this, you'll get a special night twice in a row. Sound good?" Meiko nodded. "Now go and get Yohioloid. I need him to clean my room. Then you can start looking for Len."

Meiko walked away, her face red and her heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. She headed outside and began checking every building in the town. Eventually she saw Len through the window of Café Chat-Chat.

She put her hands on her hips, instantly forgetting that she was supposed to be watching Len in secret. Len noticed her and stood up.

Meiko entered the café. Len held his hands up. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't tell Gakupo! I won't disobey him anymore!"

Meiko would have gone straight to Gakupo and told him where Len was if it wasn't for the adorable look on Len's face.

"Fine," Meiko said after moments of silence. "I'll lie, but I want you to act like you didn't see me. Have we got a deal?" Len nodded his head rapidly. "So who's this guy?"

"This is Kaito. Kaito, meet Meiko." Meiko and Kaito shook hands. "So, um, I better get going, Kaito. It was nice seeing you again."

As Meiko and Len walked together, Meiko grinned and put a hand on her heart. "Is he your friend? I hope he is. If he's just a friend then I call dibs on him."

"He's not cattle and you know what happens if a slave tries to date someone who isn't a slave. Have you forgotten what happened to Mayu?"

Meiko shivered. "I wish I could forget. I had no idea you were so good at administering first aid. I hope Gakupo was grateful. I still remember Mayu's hands. Oh, I have to go in first or else our lie will be found out."

Len nodded and waited five minutes before entering Gakupo's house. Gakupo was standing near the door.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked. "Don't you dare go where I can't find you!"

"I'm sorry," Len replied. "To make up for it I'll make you something special for dinner."

Gakupo smiled. "Good. Go back to the kitchen. I can't wait to eat your food."


	3. Chapter 3- I Didn't Know That About You

**Chapter Three- I Didn't Know That About You**

Len met up with Kaito at the same stall a week later. Wil was there, glaring at Len as Len walked towards the stall.

"Can I speak to you for a sec?" Wil asked. Len nodded nervously. "Follow me." Len walked behind Wil to an alleyway. Wil held Len up against the wall, a smirk on his face.

"You're a slave, aren't you? I can tell by the way you act."

Len looked at the man helplessly. "I… I am. Please don't tell Kaito. I don't want him to make fun of me."

"Either you tell him or I do. If he finds out from me he might be mad that you lied to him. Just tell him the truth now."

"I guess you're right. Okay, I'll tell him. Just leave me alone."

Wil laughed sinisterly. "Wow, you must be the weakest person on earth. I can see why your master made you a slave."

"P-please just leave me alone!"

"What's going on?" someone asked. Len turned his head and saw Kaito outside the alleyway. "Wil, please put him down."

"Make me," Wil retorted.

"I mean, you don't have to let him go, but it would be nice if you did so."

Wil's smirk grew wider. "You're almost as weak as this guy."

Kaito's eyes narrowed as he pushed Wil to the ground, causing Wil to let go of Len. Kaito then rushed to Len.

"Are you okay?" Kaito asked comfortingly. Len nodded, smiling at Kaito, who then looked at Wil. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Wil. I don't know what came over me." Wil stood up and frowned at Kaito before running away.

Len took a deep breath. "Kaito, there is something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Kaito asked.

"I… I'll tell you later. So what are we going to do this week?"

"I figured we could go shopping or something."

"I haven't got any money."

"What did you spend all your money on?"

Len frowned, looked down at his feet and kicked a small rock. "Maybe I can just have a look around without buying anything. Would that be okay?" Kaito nodded. The two friends began walking around town. "So what do you spend _your_ money on?"

"The usual. Food, clothes, CDs."

"I wonder what it's like to buy your own food."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing. So, um, do you sing in your free time or do you do something else?"

Kaito laughed gently. "I sometimes sing when I'm really bored, or when I need some comfort. You should try it sometime. It's gotten me through a lot."

Len grinned and grabbed Kaito's hand. He wasn't sure why but it felt right to do it. Kaito blushed but kept his hand in Len's.

Len looked at the clothes displayed in a shop with wide eyes. "I wish I could buy it for you but I don't think I have enough money," Kaito told him.

"It's okay. I just like looking. I think I'm ready to tell you what I wanted to tell you earlier. Please don't make fun of me."

"I promise I won't."

"I… I… I don't just cook for Mr Kamui. Well, I do cook but… not for money. I'm his slave. There, I finally managed to get it off my chest."

"I know what you mean."

"You do?"

"Ms Tone's always overworking me and I hardly get any money."

"That's not what I meant. I'm Master Kamui's slave. As in, I was taken in and forced to work." Kaito raised an eyebrow. "How much clearer do I have to be? I'm a slave! S-L-A-V-E!"

"Oh…"

Several people stopped in their tracks. One woman whispered to another. "Wow, a slave? I've never seen one before. I never knew they were so short."

Len heard this and lowered his head, a frown on his face. Kaito held Len's chin up and gave him a look of sympathy. Len felt comfortable standing there with Kaito looking at him like that.

"Don't worry about them," Kaito said softly. Len nodded and began walking again. He sighed happily, relieved that Kaito accepted him.

* * *

Meiko sighed angrily, annoyed that Gakupo still wanted her to spy on Len. "I couldn't find him this time either. Sorry. Why do you care so much?"

Gakupo narrowed his eyes. "He's my slave. I can't have him try to escape. Has he been hanging out with Lily?"

Meiko shook her head. "I doubt Len would ever try to esc ape from you. It sounds like you miss him." Gakupo forcefully grabbed Meiko's wrists and looked deep into her eyes.

"I don't miss slaves. Don't be ridiculous. Don't even suggest a thing like that. If you do it again I'll put you in the bamboo box. Do you want that?" Meiko's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Very good. Now, tonight's the night, isn't it? Go upstairs. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Meiko bowed before walking upstairs. Gakupo sighed and massaged his temples. 'I have no idea what made Meiko say such stupid things. I never miss a slave. I never miss a slave!'

Len entered the house. Gakupo turned to him. "Where were you?"

"Well, M-master-"

"Call me Gakupo!"

Gakupo coughed, unsure why he made such an order. Len looked at Gakupo with a shocked facial expression.

"Well, G-Gakupo, I was looking for things that you might like to buy. I haven't got any money, of course, but I could show them to you, if you want."

"Fine. Cook something special for Meiko and I, something… romantic." Len nodded and bowed in a similar manner to Meiko.

Gakupo headed upstairs and entered his bedroom. He lay down on the bed and pushed Meiko's hair away from her face. Len's face quickly entered his mind. He moved his body back and held his hand up, wondering why he was thinking of Len at this time.

Meiko stared at Gakupo, her eyes filled with bewilderment. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I… I'm fine." Gakupo lowered his eyelids and kissed Meiko on the lips. 'How could I think about Len when someone like Meiko is here?'

* * *

The next morning Kaito walked up to his stall and sighed when he saw Rion. "Good morning, Ms Tone." He wanted to laugh at the bright pink dress Rion was wearing, but he decided that it wasn't worth getting fired. "I see you've bought a new outfit… again."

Rion smiled. "Do you like it? I tried to look moe with this dress. It's cuteness haute couture!"

"It looks great. So, um, I was wondering if… well, I've been working here for about two years, so I was hoping that someday I'd receive a raise."

Rion laughed. "Don't be silly. You're useful, but you're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."

"What does that mean?"

"You're proving my point. Anyway, just work for another year and I might consider raising your pay. How does that sound?"

Kaito smiled. "Thank you!"

"I see that you're about to start Merli's shift. Where is she?"

"I heard that she went missing."

"Really? That's a shame. I wonder where she went."

* * *

Gakupo tapped his chin with a single finger. The man in front of him had two young women behind him. One had pale skin and bright blue hair with purple ends while the other had dark skin and deep purple hair with blue ends.

"I can only afford one at the moment. I'll take the girl with the dark skin. The other one looks too dumb to me."

"Merli, meet your new master," the man selling the women said. Merli held onto the other woman with fear in her eyes.

"No, I can't leave Lapis!" The man dragged Merli away from Lapis and took her to Gakupo. Merli kicked and screamed but failed to escape Gakupo's clutches. "Sis!"

"Don't worry about me!" Lapis responded. "I'll be fine! Goodbye, Merli!" Both women had tears in their eyes.

Gakupo smirked as he took Merli to his house. "This is where you'll be living for the rest of your life. It's a nice place, isn't it? I'm sure you'll get along just fine with the others."

At that point Merli had given up on fighting against her fate. She looked up and down the house, wishing someone could help her escape.


	4. Chapter 4- Is This A Date?

**Chapter Four- Is This A Date?**

Kaito knocked on the door to Gakupo's large house. He was impressed by the size of the house as well as how beautiful the bright green garden looked.

Len opened the door. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I… I wanted to see you," Kaito replied softly.

"You sound like a love interest in a romance novel."

"How would you know something like that? Do you read romance novels?"

"N-no… okay, I do. My sister sneaked some in somehow and I started reading them before going to sleep. Everyone knows except for Gakupo. Please don't tell him. He doesn't let us slaves have things of our own."

"Are you allowed to call him Gakupo instead of Master Kamui?"

"He wanted me to call him Gakupo, so that's what I'll call him from now on."

"Who's there?" Gakupo bellowed from another room.

"Just, uh, someone who wants to help me cook!" Len shouted back.

"I'll be there in a second!"

Kaito looked at Len with a nervous expression. "I doubt I can cook as well as you," he said quietly.

"You'll be fine," Len responded dismissively. Gakupo walked up to Kaito.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"I'm K-Kaito, sir," Kaito answered. "Kaito Shion. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gakupo."

"Call me Mr Kamui. There's no need to be so informal. Why do you want to help Len when you're clearly not a slave yourself?"

"How did you know that I'm not a slave?"

"I can tell by what you're wearing. Besides, if you were a slave your master would be here right now. You didn't answer my question."

"What was your question again? Oh, wait, I remember. Well, I am a huge fan of yours and I'd love to help make your life easier."

Gakupo smiled. "Very well. Assist Len. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

When Gakupo was upstairs, Len and Kaito sighed with relief. "What does your master do anyway?" Kaito asked. "I've heard of him, of course, but I never found out how he can afford slaves."

"He runs a tobacco plantation," Len replied. "I don't work in the fields but most of the other slaves do. Only Miku, Meiko, Yohioloid and I work in the house."

"Let's get to work." Len nodded and led Kaito to the kitchen, where he gave him potatoes to peel. Kaito peeled them with glee. "It feels so good to be useful for once."

"Aren't you useful at work?"

"I'm replaceable at work and Ms Tone still won't give me a raise."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you make an excellent potato peeler."

"Thanks. You know, maybe after this we can go somewhere. We could go to Café Chat-Chat."

"Gakupo wouldn't approve of me going on a date."

"Wait, you thought I was asking you on a date? Oh man, I'm so clueless. I've never been on a date in my life so I won't ever be able to tell if I'm going on one."

"It's okay. Cooking with you is better than a date." Len wanted to slap himself for being so corny, but he smiled when he saw Kaito smile. "Now I want you to peel these carrots. That shouldn't be too hard, should it?"

Kaito shook his head and obeyed Len. They prepared the food in comfortable silence. Kaito suddenly felt a strange need to hold Len's hand.

* * *

Gakupo frowned as he lay down on his bed, sick of images of Len popping into his head. 'Why is this happening? Maybe it's because we're drifting apart. Whenever he goes out to run errands, he stays outside longer than he needs to. What is he doing?'

He imagined Len smiling at him and telling him that he was his forever. Gakupo also imagined his hand being in Len's. 'What's wrong with me? I've never felt… no way. He… he's just a servant! I wonder if I need some medication. Aah, I love it when Len serves me. Wait, what? I'll order Len to buy me some tablets tomorrow.'

Gakupo sat up and sighed. The next image that entered his mind scared him. He saw Len kissing him. 'There's no way… so, what should I do now? I don't like this feeling. Okay, I'm going mad. I need those meds now.'

Gakupo stood up and walked downstairs, making his way into the kitchen. "Len, can you stop what you're doing and go down to the pharmacy? I've been suffering from headaches and hallucinations."

"Are you sure you want me to stop making dinner?" Len asked. Gakupo nodded. "Can I bring Kaito with me?"

"….Sure. Come back here when you're finished."

After Kaito and Len stepped out of the house, Gakupo headed down to the basement, where he saw Merli. The two were alone.

"Merli, I want you to follow Len and Mr Shion to the pharmacy, and report what they're doing to me. I don't trust Meiko to do it because so far she's been incredibly inept. You're the only one I trust, you see. If you do this you'll be guaranteed a night with me."

"Go to hell," Merli spat.

Gakupo leaned in closer and whispered in Merli's ear. "You don't know what you're missing out on. Don't worry, I'll be gentle, I promise."

"Like I said, go to hell."

Gakupo pushed Merli to the ground. "No one speaks to me that way! I thought a coloured slave would be more subservient. I couldn't have been more wrong. Now, you do what I say or I will cut off your hands."

"If you do that I won't be able to work in the fields."

"Trust me when I say that you can still help me out, hands or no hands. Now, there's someone I want you to meet." Gakupo grabbed Merli's arm and took her with him to a door. He opened the door and showed Merli that someone was inside the storage closet.

The young woman inside had long blonde hair and a fringe that almost covered her yellow eyes. The woman had a tattered black dress on and, much to Merli's shock, no hands.

"Hello, Mayu," Gakupo greeted the woman with false friendliness. "How's it going?"

Mayu sobbed as she looked up at Merli. "Please… help me…" she pleaded so quietly that Merli could barely hear her.

Gakupo shut the door closed. He looked at Merli. "So, are you willing to obey me now?" Merli nodded quickly. She walked upstairs and left the house.

She tried to find the pharmacy and after a few minutes she saw Len and Kaito laughing together. She walked closer towards them but stayed out of sight.

"I hope we got the right medication," Len told Kaito, who nodded.

"Does your master get headaches often?" Kaito asked. Len shook his head. "I didn't know that people could get hallucinations in real life. I thought that was something invented by TV shows.

"Gakupo sometimes watches shows. Sometimes he even lets me watch them with him."

"That sounds awfully nice for a slave owner."

"That's why I..."

"What?"

"Can we change the subject?"

"Um… sure. What to talk about, what to talk about. So what kind of shows do you watch with Gakupo?"

"I can't really remember. Usually mystery shows and soap operas, stuff like that. I remember watching stuff like that when I was a kid. To be honest with you, I haven't watched TV with Gakupo in ages. I worry that we're not a close as we used to be."

"How can a slave be close to his master in the first place?"

"You wouldn't understand. I've been Gakupo's slave for four years so I've had plenty of time to get to know him."

Merli smirked and walked back to Gakupo's house. She noticed that Gakupo looked as if he was waiting for her as he sat on his couch.

"It seems that Len and that Mr Shion are very close," Merli told her master. "Len's even telling Mr Shion his secrets. At least, I think what he told him were his secrets. Why do you care so much about them? I haven't known Len for long, but already I can tell that he'll never escape from you."

"My reasons for giving my orders are of no business to you. Go to bed."

"Do you have feelings for Len?"

Gakupo's eyes widened. "What on earth would make you think something as preposterous as that?"

"I… I'm not sure, to be honest. I can just tell. I apologise if I was out of line. Please don't cut off my hands."

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, not when you've already given me information about Len and Mr Shion. Good night."

Merli bowed, much to her humiliation, and headed downstairs. Seconds later Len and Kaito entered the house.

"I better go home," Kaito said. "It was nice meeting you, Mr Kamui."

Gakupo put on a smile. "The pleasure was all mine. Len, I think it's time you went to bed."

"Yes, Master, but first I should finish preparing your dinner," Len said.

"I thought I told you to call me Gakupo."

"Yes, Gakupo."


	5. Chapter 5-Why Let Him Treat You That Way

**Chapter Five- Why Would You Let Him Treat You That Way?**

Len grinned when he saw Kaito in his market stall. "How are things?" he asked.

"Fine. I'm glad to see you here again." Len blushed. 'How… what's another word for corny?' Len wondered.

"Maybe we could go to Café Chat-Chat. I want to try more drinks from there and we haven't been there for ages."

"A few weeks aren't ages, you know."

"Well, it feels like it's been ages, so that's the word I'm going to use. How's work going?"

"Okay, I guess. I think I'll take your offer to go to that café. So is this like a-"

"No, it's not a date. I'm not allowed to go on dates and you're probably too old for me anyway. How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"Okay, that's not so bad. I'm fourteen so it wouldn't be a big deal if you dated me. But like I said, I can't date anyone. The last of Gakupo's slaves who tried to date someone got…" Len shivered from the memory.

Kaito instinctively reached out to Len and gave him a hug. He gently brushed Len's hair with his hands. Len felt at ease in Kaito's arms.

Kaito blushed when he realised what he was doing and let go of Len. "I won't be able to go to Café Chat-Chat yet because I have an extra shift to work but I'll meet you at your place at five to six."

"Why do you have an extra shift?"

"Well, Merli, one of the workers, has gone missing."

"Merli? Don't be silly. Merli's one of Gakupo's slaves and that name's pretty rare. Wait… does that mean…? That's horrible!"

Merli cringed when she heard her name. She hid more behind a wall. After watching Len leave Kaito, she rushed back to Gakupo's house.

"Master Kamui, Len is going to a café with Mr Shion," she told her master.

Gakupo stood up off the couch. "I'll sort this out. You can go back to the fields." Merli bowed, wondering what made her become so submissive so quickly. "I forgot to give you that special night, didn't I? We'll have it tomorrow."

Merli wanted to spit in Gakupo's face but instead she acted as if she was overjoyed. She walked to the backdoor and entered the plantation.

Len entered the mansion with a grin on his face. Gakupo almost melted when he saw Len's smile. He coughed and stood up.

"I would like to a have a word with you upstairs," he told Len, who nodded and followed him to his bedroom.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Len asked.

Gakupo slid his hand on the edge of his bed. "I hear that you're going on a date with Mr Shion."

'How did he know that?' Len asked himself. "I wouldn't call it a date exactly."

"You cannot date him."

"I know. Dating is forbidden."

"That is not the only reason why you can't date Mr Shion. You see, when I met him I knew straight away what kind of person he is. You see, he is a submissive. He is very much a submissive. You are a submissive as well. People like you do not end up with your own kind. A submissive person should end up with a dominant person. That is the way that the world works. What would you even do if you went to bed with him?"

"I never thought that far ahead."

"I'm a dominant person, so you should end up with me."

Len smiled at hearing Gakupo's words. "You really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. In fact, I think you should spend the night with me. How does that sound? You'll be the first male slave I've spent the night with. Congratulations!"

Len, despite knowing that doing so would cause more harm than good, shook his head. "I can't. I have to see Kaito."

"What did I just say about Mr Shion? You two don't suit each other at all." Gakupo grabbed Len's shoulders and pushed him onto the bed.

"N-no!"

"Don't start squirming. Isn't this what you want?"

"I thought it was, but now I'm not so sure. I have to see Kaito tonight."

"I don't care about your stupid little boyfriend!" Gakupo slapped Len. "You're going to be with me and that's final!" Len pushed Gakupo away with all his might before rolling off the bed. Gakupo tried to grab Len but Len ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Len rushed out the door and to the marketplace, where he saw Kaito. Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" he asked. Len shook his head.

"I need to escape from Gakupo now. Can you come with me to the forest?" Kaito nodded and called Rion.

"Can you get someone else to take my shift? I have a bit of an emergency right now. I'll call you later when I can." Kaito ended the call and ran with Len deep into the forest.

"What's… going… on?" Kaito asked Len between pants. "Why is one of your cheeks so red?"

"Gakupo… he tried to…" Len burst into tears, leaving Kaito unsure about what to do. "He hit me. I can't believe he hit me!"

"Why?"

"He… he said that… I should be with him and…. I said no. Why did I say no? I have to go back. I just needed to vent, that's all. I better head back."

"Why would you go back after he did what he did?"

"He's my master."

"Even if he is your master, why would you let him treat you that way?"

Len's sobs grew louder. "Because I love him!"

Kaito's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. He's just so strong that… I don't know. I swear he has a softer side. I've seen it with my own eyes. Maybe if I go back now he'll show me that side again. I know he's too old for me, but I still love him for some reason."

"You can't go back. He'll probably kill you if you do. Don't be so naïve in thinking that he'll treat you like you just won a competition."

"Naïve? That's a bit rich, coming from you!"

Kaito put his hand on Len's shoulder. "Please don't say things like that ever again."

Len sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what made me say that. But I have to get back." Kaito gave Len a look of pity.

"Do what you think you have to do." Len nodded and walked out of the forest. He headed back to Gakupo's house and knocked on the door. Gakupo opened it.

"I'm so sorry!" Len wailed. "I won't try to leave you ever again!"

Gakupo smiled. "I'm so glad you came back. Just for being a good boy and returning to me, I'll give you a special present."

"Really? What is it?"

Gakupo grabbed Len's ear and dragged him to the bamboo box on the front lawn. He opened the box and shoved the boy into it. He closed the lid and went back inside.

Len quickly felt the heat of the compressed air inside the box. Now he knew how Lily felt whenever she was recaptured.

He felt stupid for saying no to Gakupo and trying to escape from him. He should have known that escape was pointless, and he never really wanted to leave Gakupo.

* * *

Miku walked up to Gakupo. "Master, where is Len?"

"He's in the bamboo box outside."

"Surely not! Len would never disobey you!"

"Believe it or not, he did. He tried to run away from me like some sort of coward. I doubt he'll ever do it again, though. Speaking of which, I think it's time I let him out."

Gakupo stepped out the door and opened the lid to the bamboo box. "Hello, Len. You're looking hotter than ever, and I don't mean that in a good way."

Len scrambled out of the box. "I will not disobey you ever again," he said in a weary, almost monotone voice.

"Good. Now go back to the kitchen where you belong and start cooking my dinner. It's Merli's turn to spend the night with me since you refused me, so remember to make extra breakfast tomorrow."

Len nodded and hurried inside. Gakupo smirked and followed Len.

* * *

"I don't think this is right," Merli told Gakupo as she sat in his bed. "I almost feel like I've betrayed Len by giving you information about his conversations with Mr Shion."

"Don't worry about him. He deserved what he got by _betraying_ me. If you don't keep watching him I won't ever tell you where your sister is."

"You know where Lapis is?"

"Of course I know! I keep tabs on everyone I buy slaves from. I was going to buy your sister but you were much better than her. You should feel proud. You're the only one I trust."

Merli crossed her arms. "Do you tell every slave that? You know, you must really love Len to react the way you did when he escaped."

"I don't love Len. I don't fall in love with my slaves."


	6. Chapter 6- Are You Crazy?

**Chapter Six- Are You Crazy?**

Len felt lonely in the basement. He wasn't allowed to run errands anymore and Gakupo was out of town so he had no one to talk to. The fact that Miku was now running Gakupo's errands didn't help.

Len held his knees up to his chin and sighed. 'Maybe I should have said yes to Gakupo,' he thought to himself. 'I still love him, right?'

He smiled when he remembered how beautiful Kaito's smile looked. He was surprised that he didn't realise this sooner. He shook his head at the thought of loving someone other than Gakupo.

Suddenly Len heard a loud knock from upstairs. He stood up and headed to the front door of the house. He opened the door and jumped when he saw Kaito.

"Are you crazy? Gakupo could have been here! I can't be caught with you!" Len lectured Kaito.

"Is he here?" Kaito asked. Len shook his head. "See? There's no problem. If he was here, wouldn't it be bad for you to yell at me?"

Len shrugged. "You actually made a pretty good point. Just get inside so no one sees you."

"You're being pretty firm today. Is everything alright?"

Len shook his head. "I'm not allowed to go out anymore. I'm sorry but I'm not supposed to see you ever again. Goodbye."

Kaito was on the brink of tears for some reason. He had to remind himself that it wasn't him who was hit by Gakupo, but in a way Gakupo _did_ cause him pain.

"But… I can't bear the thought of not seeing you again," Kaito protested.

"You're sounding like a love interest from a romance novel again."

"If that's the case, would you like to be the main character?" Len wasn't sure whether to say yes or vomit from Kaito's sugar-laced words. "I know we haven't known each other for long, but I feel… drawn to you, somehow. I think… is this love?"

Len stared at Kaito silently, unsure how to react. Kaito closed his eyes and flinched. "Okay, I'm sorry. I went too far. I just thought… I thought you liked me too, but I know you like Gakupo, so…."

Len took a step towards Kaito and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, unsure of what he was doing. He leaned in closer and kissed Kaito softly on the lips. Kaito's face turned bright red.

"D-don't bait me… is this Gakupo's plan? Don't act as if you love me. Please don't. It already hurts enough to know that you love Gakupo, so please don't be mean to me."

Len giggled, reminding Kaito of how adorable he was. "I think I might love you too."

"B-but you love Gakupo!"

"I think it's possible to love more than one person."

"How?"

"I don't know. I only decided that just now. Anyway, you better go home."

Kaito took a deep breath. "I think you should escape again, for real this time."

"You're insane."

"I thought you said you love me."

"I'm in love with an insane person, then. I can't escape from Gakupo. Where would I go? I can't just spend the rest of my life in a forest."

"You can borrow what little money I've saved. We could go out of town and start working somewhere else. Maybe I'll be able to find a job that pays better. Then again, my parents wouldn't let me and I doubt an idiot like me could get such a job."

"You're not an idiot. You may be insane but you're not stupid."

"Thanks." Kaito beamed at Len. "So how does my escape plan sound?"

"Did I hear the words 'escape plan'?" a voice asked from behind Len. Len turned around and saw Lily sitting on the stairs. Lily flipped her hair back. "I want in. What's the plan?"

"Well, we were thinking of going to another town," Kaito explained to Lily. "Hi, I'm Kaito Shion."

"Lily. If you're going to another town I don't recommend going to Yukimura. One time I tried to escape there and I almost froze to death. A good place to go is Otone, which is a few towns away."

"That's where a lot of singers go, right? That's sounds like a good place to go. So, when should we escape?"

"We can escape tomorrow," Len answered. "Gakupo will be back home soon so we won't get far before he calls the police. We'll escape after he goes out of town again. You know, I'm not sure if I even want to escape. I can't… I don't want to leave Gakupo again."

Kaito frowned. "He doesn't deserve you, Len. You should let him feel what he made you feel."

Len stepped away from Kaito. "K-Kaito, you're scaring me."

"Really? I'm sorry. Damn it. So, um, we'll leave tomorrow. When is Gakupo leaving town?"

"About ten in the morning. I'm sorry I had to drag you into this, Kaito. You shouldn't have to give up your job just so you can be with me."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad that I can leave my stupid job behind."

* * *

Gakupo groaned at the thought of having to buy food from a fast food restaurant. He already missed Len's cooking. 'There you go again, thinking about Len,' Gakupo berated himself. 'What's wrong with me?'

A memory of what Merli said earlier entered his mind. _"You know, you must really love Len…" _Gakupo sighed. 'She's crazy. There's no way…' Images of Len kissing him popped into his head. 'Why couldn't that have happened?'

Gakupo shook his head. 'Maybe what Merli said is true… then again, how can I love my own slave?' He walked up to the counter of a fast food restaurant.

"What would you like today?" The woman behind the counter asked with a smile.

"Len," Gakupo said without thinking.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, uh, I'll take the Alpaca Meal Deal." The woman nodded and ordered Gakupo to take a step to the side.

'How embarrassing,' Gakupo thought to himself. 'So now that I know that I have feelings for Len, what do I do? I guess I'll have to find a way to make him mine. He clearly still likes me even after he escaped. I'll ask him again tonight if he wants me.'

Gakupo received his meal and found a spot to eat. He sat down and began monotonously biting and chewing the burger. 'What is this crap? It's nothing like what Len makes. I wish he was with me now, to be honest.'

Gakupo finished the meal as quickly as he could. He was glad that he had finished the meetings he had before lunch. He had been expecting to get home at night time, not lunchtime. He smiled and put the remnants of the meal into a bin.

He took a taxi to Hitsujikai, the town where he lived. The taxi driver noticed that he looked sad and asked him what was wrong.

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"Then what's making you look so sad? Do you have a naturally sad –looking face?"

Gakupo sighed. "I thought for a moment that the person I love loved me back. Someone even told me that he loved me. Now I think he prefers some other guy. Why am I telling you this?"

"People tell taxi drivers all sorts of things. I've seen you before. Are you the man behind Kamui Tobacco?" Gakupo nodded. "I didn't know you were gay."

Gakupo blushed and shook his head. "I've been with many women. This guy's just… special."

"Oh, so you're bisexual. My auntie's bi. Our family used to hate her for it but eventually things turned out fine for her."

"I don't care about you auntie!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down. You must be really mad about what's happening with this guy you like. Is there any way I can help?"

"I doubt it."

"Well, I suggest you tell this guy how you really feel. He's probably going through some confusing feelings himself so he needs you to break it to him."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks."

"Any time. I can't believe I got to speak with a guy as famous as you. I hear your company's going well."

"Well, everyone needs a smoke every once in a while. Speaking of which, I wonder if I have some cigarettes on me now." Gakupo took a box of cigarettes out of his pocket and took out a single cigarette, putting it in his mouth and lighting it. He smiled as he breathed in the toxic smoke.

"Do you want one?" he asked the taxi driver, who shook her head.

"I don't need one right now but I might have one on my break. Thanks anyway. Oh, we're near your house. So why were you in Crypton city?"

"I had a meeting with the marketing department. Everyone's in hot water if that new law banning tobacco advertising is passed. Unfortunately the kids these days just aren't smoking."

"I know what you mean. Don't worry; I'll buy your cigarettes even if you're not allowed to advertise them."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh look, that's your house, right?"

Gakupo nodded and got out of the car. He opened the door and was shocked to see Kaito in his house, standing next to Len. 'Damn it. I should have locked the door. I shouldn't have trusted Len to not open it.'


	7. Chapter 7- You're The Only One I Love

**Chapter Seven-You're The Only One I Love**

Gakupo punched Kaito to the ground. "What makes you think you can come in here without my permission?" he growled.

"Can I come in?" Kaito asked.

"No, you idiot!" Gakupo rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a large knife while Len helped Kaito up. He went back to where Len and Kaito where, pointing his knife at Kaito.

"Please don't hurt him!" Len begged. "I'll do anything if you leave him alone!"

Gakupo laughed pathetically, as if he had just lost his mind. "Hehe. Really? Why shouldn't I hurt him after all he's done to me?"

"What about the way you've been treating Len?" Kaito spat.

"I beg your pardon."

"You keep on controlling him and you won't let him be! I can't just let you treat him like crap!"

"He's my slave. I can treat him however I want. You know why? You know why? I own him! He's mine and you're not taking him! I won't let you take him!"

Gakupo tried to stab Kaito in the chest but Len ripped the knife out of his hand. Gakupo snatched it back immediately.

Len let tears fall out of his eyes. "Please stop this. Why do you want to kill Kaito so badly? I won't see him ever again if you want. Just don't kill him!"

Gakupo laughed again and held the knife against his neck. "You're so stupid, Len! Can't you see how much I care for you? Can't you see how much I… how much I love you? There, I said it! I finally said it!"

"You don't truly care for him," Kaito retorted. Tears began trickling down Gakupo's face. Kaito instantly felt guilty for saying what he said.

"I do care for him! Like I said, I love him!" Gakupo turned towards Len. "You're the only one I love! We should be together forever! Can't you see that?"

Gakupo dropped his knife and grabbed Len's shoulders, forcefully kissing him on the lips. Len wasn't sure whether he should push Gakupo away or kiss him back. He decided to do both.

Gakupo picked the knife up. "Who is it you love, Len? You have two choices; it's either me or Mr Shion."

Len swallowed and looked at both men. "How am I supposed to choose?" he asked. "That's like telling a parent to choose their favourite child!"

"A decision must be made. Who do you love more?"

"I… I love you Gakupo." Gakupo smiled, tears still streaming down his face. "But…" Gakupo frowned. "I still love Kaito. In fact, if I had to be honest, I think I would say that I love Kaito more. He didn't hit me or try to force himself on me."

"But… he's a submissive! How can a submissive be with another submissive?"

"I'm not sure how, but I know… oh god, this is really embarrassing… I know that, in my heart, Kaito's the right choice. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Master."

"Call me Gakupo! I want to hear you say my name before I die."

"What do you mean, Gakupo?"

Gakupo held his knife against his throat and slit it. He then stabbed himself in the chest. He gave one last laugh before falling to the ground.

Len kneeled down, his eyes large and is mouth wide open. "Kaito, call an ambulance!"

"But if he dies we can be together!" Kaito protested.

Len stood up and glared at Kaito. "Call the police or you can say goodbye to me forever. Gakupo needs help. What, do you want us to kiss over his corpse? How can you be so insensitive? I still love Gakupo."

Kaito bowed his head and took out his cell phone. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'll call an ambulance now."

Len gave Kaito a sad smile before looking at Gakupo's limp body. "Do you think it's too late?" Kaito shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's just hope that that the ambulance arrives soon," Kaito replied. While he called the emergency number, several salves entered the room.

"What's going on?" Miku asked. Her eyes widened when she saw Gakupo on the ground with a knife in his hand. "Did one of you kill him?" Miku began to cry. Meiko gave her a hug of sympathy.

"So he's really gone?" Lily asked. "I can't explain why, but I almost feel… sad that he's gone."

Len scowled at the other slaves. "He might not be dead yet! An ambulance is coming so maybe he'll be alright! Don't jump to conclusions!"

"Len, calm down," Meiko said in the most comforting voice she could offer.

"Don't tell me to calm down! The man I love is in pain!"

"I love Gakupo too," Miku pointed out. "You don't see me getting angry."

"You obviously didn't love him enough!"

"Please take that back."

Len sighed and looked at Miku helplessly. "I apologise. I just… I don't know what else I can do."

Meiko let go of Miku and gave Len a warm hug. "Everything's going to be alright," she whispered in his ear. Len took a few deep breaths before calming down. He stepped away from Meiko and wiped his eyes.

A few minutes later, an ambulance finally arrived. A man and a woman helped to heave Gakupo onto a stretcher. "He might not make it," the man said. "We'll try our best."

Len found watching Gakupo be put in the ambulance extremely excruciating, so he turned around and walked to the plantation. He didn't want to make a spectacle out of what happened but he felt that the other slaves deserved to know.

He walked up to each slave and told them what happened. Merli's eyes widened. "There's something I have to do," she told Len.

"What?"

"I have to rescue Mayu."

"But she's dead! How did you find out about her?"

"She's alive, if only just barely. Unless she died recently, of course."

Merli grabbed Len's arm and took him back into the house. The two slaves walked down to the basement, where Merli opened the door to the storage closet.

"I can't believe I never knew she was there the whole time! Gakupo said that he killed her."

"Well, I'm sure keeping her in here was a much better punishment in Master Kamui's eyes. She can barely talk, so that's probably why you didn't hear her."

Mayu smiled. "Len, can you make Mayu some food?" Merli asked. Len nodded and hurried upstairs to the kitchen. "Hi, Mayu. I'm Merli. How are you going? How have you survived this time?"

Mayu pointed her arm at pieces of food lying on the ground. "Did Master Kamui give you enough food to eat for a few weeks?" Merli queried. Mayu nodded.

"I… I had to… lean down to eat," Mayu told Merli.

"Why didn't he just let you starve in here?"

"He… he said… he wanted to… keep me in here for as long… as possible. He's… been sneaking in food whenever the other slaves aren't in the basement. Please don't tell him that I've told you this."

"Master Kamui's dying."

"Really? Does that mean you're letting me out?" Merli nodded and grabbed Mayu's arm, helping her out of the closet. "I'm… I'm so tired. I'm surprised I haven't died from blood loss yet. I still can't believe I don't…. have my hands… anymore. It feels… like just yesterday…. when I was cleaning Master Kamui's house. You know… Master Kamui was so mad when I admitted to him that I was in love with Piko. I think… well, I wonder if… Master Kamui loved me so he didn't want me to be with anyone else."

"He's clearly in love with Len at the moment."

"Really? Good for Len. How's he taking Master Kamui's death?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't asked him. Let's go up and see."

Merli held Mayu up as the two slaves made their way up to the ground floor, where they saw Len preparing soup. Mayu sat down on a chair in the dining room. Len put a bowl of soup in front of Mayu and spoon-fed it to her, much to Mayu's embarrassment.

"Thank you," Mayu said. "I think my voice is getting better already. I guess I just needed someone to talk to. Thank you so much, Merli."

"You're welcome," Merli replied, averting her eyes. "It's a shame that I didn't have a chance to find out where Lapis is. Should we take you to a hospital too, Mayu? I hear they've started making robotic limbs for people without arms or legs."

"Aren't those expensive, though?" Len asked.

"We could take Master Kamui's money to spend on a robotic hand."

"We are not going to steal from Gakupo."

"You call Master Kamui by his first name now?" Mayu asked Len, who nodded. "Wow, you must have become really close."

"So Len, what are you going to do now that you know that Master Kamui will probably die?" Merli inquired.

"I haven't got a plan yet," Len replied. "I was originally going to escape to another town, but I don't think I need to do that anymore."

"Maybe we can go to the government and tell them that they should ban slavery."

"If slavery didn't exist, I would be on the streets."

"If slavery didn't exist, you would have the freedom to do whatever you please. Someone could have taken you in still and made you work, but you would have gotten paid."

Len nodded. "That's a fair point. Okay, we'll try and speak out against slavery, I guess."


	8. Chapter 8- Why Won't You Talk To Me?

**Chapter Eight- Why Won't You Talk To Me?**

Len was on the verge of tears as he sat in the interrogation room. "He… he killed himself."

The police officer raised his eyebrow. "I sense hesitation in your voice. Why are you lying to me?"

"I swear it's true!"

The police officer wrote something down in his notebook. "Why did Mr Kamui commit suicide?"

"I chose someone else over him."

The officer's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"He…. He said that he loved me…. I told him I loved someone else more than him and he went crazy. He slit his throat and stabbed himself."

"Maybe you killed him and blamed him for it. Did you ever think of escaping from him?"

"I was going to escape from him yesterday, actually, but I wasn't ever going to kill him. I just wanted to be with Kaito."

"Do you know anyone else who could have killed him?"

"The only people in the room were Gakupo, Kaito and I. Trust me when I say that I'd never kill my master."

The police officer shut his notebook closed. "I think that's enough questions for now. You may have to return here for more questioning as we find new information. Have a nice day."

"Thank you. By the way, now that my master is dead, where am I supposed to go?"

"I'm not sure. You could stay inside his house. In fact, it would be easier to monitor you if you stay inside the house." Len nodded and exited the room.

"How did it go?" Kaito asked. "I was so scared when the police officer started asking questions. Were you scared, Len?" Len walked out of the police station in silence. "Are you okay, Len?"

Meiko rested a hand on Kaito's shoulder. "Wait for a few days. He's recovering over Master Kamui's death."

Kaito paid no attention to Meiko, instead deciding to wrap his arms around Len's waist. "It's going to be okay. We have each other now."

Len pushed Kaito away and continued walking to Gakupo's house in silence. Meiko frowned. "What did I just say?" she asked. "Leave him alone and eventually he'll come back to you."

Len walked into the kitchen, forgetting that Gakupo wasn't there for him to make food for. He prepared some watercress salad and put it on the table in the dining room, finally allowing himself to cry.

Kaito stared helplessly at Len and walked towards him. "Are you going to eat that? I'll eat it if you aren't." Len walked back to the kitchen quietly. "Len, why aren't you talking to me?"

Len glared at Kaito. "If you weren't in the house when Gakupo came in, he wouldn't have killed himself. If I never met you, he wouldn't have killed himself!"

"Don't say things like that!"

Meiko sighed in exasperation and dragged Kaito out of the kitchen. "You never listen, do you?" she asked.

"Well, is there any way I can speed up the process of Len feeling better?" Kaito inquired. Meiko shook her head.

"The only thing Len needs is time. Now leave him alone before I start sounding like some sage. Being wise doesn't suit me at all."

Merli walked up to Kaito and Meiko. "How did the questioning go?" she asked.

"Fine, I guess," Meiko replied. "How did Mayu's trip to the hospital go?"

"Some surgeons are closing her wounds. Apparently she needs more blood in about a week or she'll die because her blood cells aren't regenerating quickly enough. How are we going to find a blood donor that quickly?"

Meiko shrugged with a frown on her face. "Didn't you say that you were going to buy Mayu robotic hands?" Len asked as he walked toward Merli, his cheeks stained with tears. "How are we going to afford them? I won't let you steal from Gakupo."

"Well, we haven't found his will yet, so maybe we can ask the person he gives his riches to for some money," Merli explained.

"What makes you think that they'll give us money when we're slaves who have been accused of murdering Gakupo?"

"Well, if it weren't for Gakupo's death, they wouldn't have the money to begin with. We should get some of that money for what we did."

"We didn't do anything, remember?"

"The person who gets the money doesn't need to know that."

Len glared at Merli and walked away. "Great, now he's going to give _you_ the silent treatment too," Meiko remarked. "Does no one else understand the pain he's going through? Maybe Miku does. Where _is_ Miku anyway?"

"She's cleaning the basement," Merli answered. "I wonder why."

"Well, she has a tendency of cleaning things when she's upset. One time she cleaned the entire house after Gakupo told her that she wasn't going to spend the night with him."

Merli laughed. "So I hear that bill banning slavery is about to be passed next week. Before that there's going to be a conference tomorrow that anyone can go to. I say we make our case in front of everyone."

"How did you find out something like that?"

"I was out yesterday when a bunch of protesters were talking about it. I wonder if I can find Lapis after the bill passes."

"We don't know if the bill will pass."

"I'll make sure it passes if it's the last thing I do. I wish I showed Lapis how much I care more. I used to pick on her all the time. When I see her, I'm going to try to be nice to her from now on."

Meanwhile, Len was cleaning the kitchen. 'I should have taken that knife from Gakupo again,' he thought to himself. 'How could I have been so weak? I managed to get it off him before, so what stopped me?'

* * *

Lapis ran through the forest. She smiled when she saw a town. 'This is the right town, isn't it?' she wondered. She tripped over a log and held her leg, trying not to screech in pain. 'Damn it. How can a little log like that cause so much pain?'

Lapis helped herself up and limped over to the town. Her smile grew wider when she saw a sign that said 'Welcome to Hitsujikai'.

She continued to limp into the town, where she saw Gakupo's house. She knocked on the door, determined to do whatever it took for her to find Merli, even if that included fighting Gakupo.

"Merli!" she cried as Merli opened the door. She gave her a big, warm hug.

"Hi," Merli said quietly, stepping away from Lapis. "What are you doing here?"

"I escaped and went looking for you. I'm so glad I found you!"

"Whatever." Merli averted her gaze.

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

Lapis took a step towards her sister with a smirk. "You're acting like you don't care about me again. If only I had a hundred yen for every time you do that."

"Sorry. I'm glad to see you, sis."

"So what's happening? Is your master here? Oh god, I better hide. What if he recognises me?"

"He's dead. He died two days ago."

"Really? So why are you still in his house?"

"Well, no one's kicked us out yet, so we figured we may as well live here. Why do you keep holding onto your leg?"

"Well, I just tripped over on my way here. I had no idea that the forest could be so… evil."

"We're going to a public debate tomorrow about whether slavery should be illegal or not. Would you like to stay here until slavery's banned?"

"That sounds like a great idea! Where can I sleep?"

"We might have an extra blanket in the basement. That's where we all sleep."

"My master made me sleep in a cage. Your master must have been really nice."

Merli shook her head. "He was still horrible. I suppose you don't want to hear some of the scary stories from around here, do you?"

"Are you kidding me? I love scary stories!"

"Well, let me tell you about a girl named Mayu."

* * *

Len walked up to Kaito, who was sitting on the couch with a look of sorrow on his face. "I…. I'm sorry," Len apologised. "I was just so angry over what happened that I started blaming you for it. I'm still upset over Gakupo's death, of course, but I won't blame you for it ever again."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Kaito argued. "I should have given you space. I can be such an idiot sometimes."

Len sat down next to Kaito. "You're not an idiot." He kissed Kaito on the cheek. "I doubt I'd ever fall for an idiot."


	9. Chapter 9- Why Won't Anyone Listen?

**Chapter Nine- Why Won't Anyone Listen To Me?**

Tears slipped out of Len's closed eyes as he remembered what happened the day Gakupo tried to have his way with him. He remembered how cold Gakupo's touch was as the man pushed him onto his bed.

Len opened his eyes and sat up, wiping his eyes dry. 'He's gone now,' he reminded himself. 'He can't hurt me anymore, so why do I feel so… so… scared of him? I thought I loved him. No, I still love him. It seems that his death was swept under the rug. Was it? I mean, it hasn't been mentioned on the news yet. How weird.'

"Are you okay?" Meiko asked, invisible to Len due to the darkness of the room. "You sound really restless."

Some of the other slaves groaned. "Get back to sleep," Rin murmured loudly.

"Just let me talk to Len for a sec!" Meiko yelled.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Len said.

"Why?"

"Meiko, you shouldn't be asking him a question like that," Lily berated Meiko. "He'll tell you if he's ready."

"Sorry. I'm not used to comforting people."

"You've done a pretty good job so far," Miku responded.

"You know, I think one of us should have Gakupo's bed," Lily said. "Who should have it? I'm sick of sleeping in this basement."

"I say Len should have it since he was the most devoted to Gakupo," Rin replied.

Len shook his head despite knowing that no one could see him. "I don't want to remember…"

"Remember what?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm going back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking everyone up." Len shut his eyes closed and tried to go to sleep. He managed to doze off in about twenty minutes.

* * *

Kaito knocked on the front door of Gakupo's former house. Len opened the door cautiously. "Len!" Kaito cried as he wrapped his arms around Len's shoulders. Len soon felt the coldness of Kaito's arms.

Kaito's eyes widened when he noticed that Len was cringing. "It's not cold, so… why are you shivering?"

"I'm shivering? I didn't notice." Kaito tried to give Len a kiss but Len backed away. "Sorry. I… I don't really feel like kisses at the moment."

"Why not?"

"You just… it's silly, but you reminded me of someone."

"Who?"

"You're not like him at all, but being close to you … makes me think of Gakupo. I'm sorry."

"I'm kinda getting sick of hearing you talk about Gakupo, to be honest."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. You love him still. Maybe you'll get over him someday."

"I hope so. Let's start walking."

"We're walking?"

"Well, none of us have a car, so we have to walk for a couple of hours to the Royal Office."

"Why don't I get my boss to drive us?"

"We can't fit everyone in one car."

"Then just send a couple of representatives. You, Merli, Meiko and I."

Len smiled. "That sounds like a good idea. Are you sure that your boss will drive us?"

"Despite the fact that she doesn't pay us workers much, she's against slavery. I swear I heard her say that slavery is 'unfabulous'." Len giggled. "I'll call her now."

Kaito took out his phone. "Hi, Ms Tone. How's it going? Yeah, um, one of our customers needs to go to the Royal Office in order to speak against slavery. Could you drive us there?"

"What's she saying?" Len asked.

"Shh! No, I wasn't talking to you then, Ms Tone. Please drive us there. Really? Thank you! Could you meet me at Gakupo Kamui's house? Don't worry. He won't try to stop me. Okay, see you there."

Len instantly felt giddy. This feeling wore off after about ten minutes as he waited for Rion to arrive. Eventually she did and Merli, Meiko, Kaito and Len entered the car.

"Thank you so much, Ms Tone," Len said. Kaito tried to grab Len's hand but Len moved his hand away from him. "Sorry, Kaito." Kaito frowned but didn't complain.

The trip to the Royal Office was long and, for the most part, silent. Len's eyes widened with glee when he saw Crypton City. The city was bright and had a wide array of colours, something Len didn't expect from such a big, bustling city.

Everywhere there were buskers and salespeople trying to make fast money. There were shops and statues of heroes, restaurants and large televisions on the sides of buildings.

"Can I join you?" Rion asked the ex-slaves and Kaito. They nodded their heads in unison, causing Rion to smile.

The hall in the Royal Office was crowded, more crowded than Len expected. "Um… can you please lead me to where they're having the slavery debate?" Len asked a woman, who ignored him. He asked the same thing to several people but they all disregarded him, some even giving him disapproving glares. "Why won't anyone listen to me?"

"I think it's because you clearly look like a slave," Rion answered. "No offence. People just don't listen to slaves."

"But there's going to be a debate about slaves! Shouldn't I be considered pretty important in this debate?"

"The sources of the debate are not the ones people pay attention to. The people other people listen to are all rich men for some reason. Let me ask people where to go." Len crossed his arms but nodded. Rion walked up to a man. "Where can I go to take part in the slavery debate?"

"The room's upstairs and to your left," the man replied.

"Thank you." Rion, Kaito and the freed slaves walked up the stairs and into the large room. They sat in the few seats that were left. People were already beginning to hotly debate the topic of slavery.

"People have the constitutional right to own slaves," one man stated.

"It's downright cruel to own people and force them to work hard for no reward," another man argued.

"You're right," Len whispered to Rion. "Most of the people here are rich men."

"I told you so," Rion replied playfully.

"I think it's time I spoke."

"What makes you think people will listen?"

"I don't care if no one listens. I just want to get this off my chest." Len stood up. "May I speak?" he asked. A couple of people snickered when they saw who wanted to speak. Others gave Len looks of pity.

"You may speak," a man on a panel of government officials said. "Everyone, be silent and listen to this boy."

"Well, you see…" Len took a deep breath. "As I'm sure you can all see, I was once a slave. At first I thought my master was kinder than most masters. He sometimes let me watch television with him and he let me run errands for him in exchange for a little bit of food and a place to sleep. However, he became more and more controlling. One day he even tried to force me to sleep with him."

Half of the people inside the room gasped. "When I said no, he put me in a bamboo box and left me in the sun. He thought he was allowed to treat me however he wanted. I'm sure you've heard of my master. His name is Gakupo Kamui. He almost killed one of his slaves because she had the nerve to fall in love with somebody else. You see, he chopped off her hands." Len shivered but kept speaking.

"I used to like being a slave but after spending some time thinking about it I realised that I don't want anyone else to else to go through what I went through after Gakupo… I mean, Master Kamui… began controlling me. I couldn't go out whenever I wanted or be with the man I love. I admit that I had to sneak around to do anything I wanted. Slaves already try to gain freedom in secret, so why not make it legal for them to be free?"

"Slaves don't deserve special treatment," a man on the other side of the room said. "They're born to serve their masters."

"What if I told you that average people are captured every day and made into slaves? If you don't believe me, I have proof. Meet Merli Aoki."

Merli stood up. "I was kidnapped while walking home with my sister late at night. I was torn from my sister and forced into work that I wasn't good at. Master Kamui made me feel hopeless for a while, as if there was no chance of me being free again."

A woman stood up. "What did you expect when you were out at night without a man? Surely you knew that crazy people are out at night."

Merli glared at the woman. "I think you're missing the point. I was stolen and treated like property. Do you want more citizens to be enslaved?" Merli gestured towards Len. "The boy next to me wasn't a slave ever since he was born either. He was taken in. Please; if you all look into your hearts you'll realise that slavery shouldn't be legal."

A couple of people clapped quietly for a few seconds but most of the people began debating amongst themselves.

Len and Merli smiled at each other, hopeful that no one else would become a slave anymore.


	10. Chapter 10- It's Nice To Meet You

**Chapter Ten- It's Nice To Meet You**

Tekuno walked up to the large house in front of him and knocked on the front door. Miku opened it, her eyes widening when she saw the man in front of her.

"Good afternoon, um…" Miku greeted the man.

"Tekuno Hirane," Tekuno replied. "Who is the head of this household now that Gakupo is gone?"

"Well, we don't really have a head of the household yet."

"Well, I guess that means I don't have to do any negotiating. This house is mine now. That means you're my slave from now on. There are other slaves, right?"

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Master Kamui?"

Tekuno shrugged. "We were good friends. So where are the other slaves?"

Miku sighed and led Tekuno to the basement. "Everyone, meet Tekuno Hirane, your new master," Miku told the slaves, who groaned in synchronicity.

"That's a fine way to treat your new master," Tekuno spat.

Len bowed to Tekuno, who smirked. "I'm sorry, Master Hirane," he said softly.

"Who cooks around here?"

"I do. My name is Len, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"Cook me something now. I'll be in the living room." Tekuno and Len walked upstairs. The other characters sighed.

"We're never going to be free for long, are we?" Lapis asked. "It's only been a week or two. I may as well go back to my previous master."

Luka shook her head. "How bad could this new master be?"

"He could chop off all our hands."

"Well, hopefully slavery will be banned before that happens."

Meanwhile, Len walked up to Tekuno. "Um… I hope you don't mind me asking this, but…"

Tekuno looked up at Len from the couch. "Whatever. Go on."

"Well, one of the slaves no longer has hands, so I was hoping that we'd be able to buy her robotic hands."

"What, do you expect me to buy something like that for my own slave?"

"Well, it would be hard for her to do work without hands, you see. I'm sorry if I'm asking for too much. I'm really sor-"

"Geez, do you apologise all the time? I'll buy the damn robotic hands. Just cook me my lunch."

"Are you going to run the tobacco company in Gakupo's place?"

Tekuno raised an eyebrow. "Gakupo?" he smiled. "Can you call me by my first name?"

Len winced as he spoke the man's name. "Tekuno, will you run the company?"

"Probably not. I can't be bothered running such a big company. I'll just have the slaves who work on that work on pleasing me. That should be fun."

"So what shall you do for a living?"

"I've already got this huge house so there's no point in doing anything. I don't really do jobs." Tekuno laughed. "You know, I was going to get into the music business but I couldn't be bothered. I mean, what's the point when my parents already give me an allowance? Wow, saying that makes me sound like a child, doesn't it? All well. Get to work. Make me a salad."

Len nodded and hurried to the kitchen. He began preparing a gourmet salad. This particular salad was Gakupo's favourite dish.

An image of Gakupo entered Len's mind, causing him to tear up. Tekuno stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"How long does it take to make a goddamn salad?" Tekuno froze when he saw Len crying. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry…" Len replied. "…I just… I'm not sure whether to miss Gakupo or be relieved that he's gone. "

Suddenly Tekuno heard a knock on the front door and went to open it. Kaito was there. "Hello," he said.

"Who are you?" Tekuno asked.

"I'm Len's boyfriend." Tekuno refrained from laughing at the overly proud look on Kaito's face. Kaito frowned when he realised what he just said. "Oh man, I probably shouldn't have said that to you, whoever you are. Please don't kill Len or me."

Tekuno chuckled. "Come inside."

"Thank you. So what's your name?"

"Call me Mr Hirane." Tekuno walked back to the kitchen. "I didn't know that Gakupo allowed his slaves to date."

Len's eyes widened as he turned around. "Well, he didn't. That's why he… that's why he killed himself. It's a long story." Len smiled when he saw Kaito. "Can I still date Kaito?"

Tekuno shrugged. "Whatever. It's fine so long as you keep working for me." Len ran up to Kaito and hugged him.

"Oh, so you're okay with touching me now," Kaito commented with a happy sigh.

Len stepped back. "I think I might need some more time to get over Gakupo, but surely that doesn't mean that I can't be close to you, right?"

Kaito kissed Len's forehead, causing Len to blush. Tekuno chuckled for the second time that day. "So how about we go to Café Chat-Chat tonight?" Kaito suggested. Len nodded. "Can we go, Mr Hirane?" Tekuno nodded.

"Just make sure you make dinner for me beforehand, Len," he ordered. Len nodded before giving Kaito another hug. "I have a feeling that masters aren't supposed to let their slaves do whatever they want, but who cares?"

Len prepared Tekuno's dinner. When he finished serving his new master, he walked outside with Kaito, smiling as he held Kaito's hand.

Len frowned when he saw Wil, who snickered when he saw the couple in front of him. "Oh, so you decided to date that little rat, huh?" Wil asked Kaito, who narrowed his eyes. "You shouldn't do things like that, you know. This boy probably has some sort of disease."

"Do you really want to repeat that fight we had a little while ago?" Kaito replied. Wil snorted. Kaito looked down. "Not that I'm threatening you, of course. You're still my friend, but could you stop making fun of Len?"

Wil smirked. "Why would I want to be friends with a weakling like you? You know, you and the slave you're with are actually perfect for each other."

Len ran up to Wil and punched him in the face. Wil wiped his cheek and glared daggers at Len, who gave him an apologetic look.

"I… I promise I won't do something like that again," Len said quietly. He took a deep breath before continuing. "That being said, don't insult Kaito like that. He's stronger than you think._ I'm_ stronger than you think. I've had to put up with more in a few minutes than you have in your whole life."

"Do you like making pretentious speeches like that all the time?" Wil asked mockingly.

Len closed his eyes and breathed slowly. "I don't have to listen to this from you. Let's go, Kaito. Have a nice night, Wil. Sorry for using your first name."

Kaito and Len walked to the café. Kaito smiled at Len. "You're really brave, you know that?"

Len shrugged. The two sat outside, where they enjoyed the cool breeze and full moon. A waiter took their orders and left the two alone.

Len's hand rested on the table. Kaito put his hand on Len's. "Where are you going to go when you become free?" he inquired.

"I don't know," Len admitted. "I'll probably continue cooking, this time for a fee, but I have nowhere to live."

"You could always stay with me."

Len's eyes widened. "I don't want to be a burden."

"It's okay. My parents are pretty generous. They're always letting homeless people stay at their place for a while."

"I guess it wouldn't be a problem if I stayed there for a little bit. Then again, I'm not even sure if slavery will be banned. Maybe I'll never be free."

Kaito shook his head. "I know it sounds cliché to say this, but you have to have hope. If you can live after all that's happened to you, anything's possible. Is it wrong to think that?"

"Of course not." Len gently kissed Kaito's lips.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quicker than a cheetah. "Okay, okay, I'll put the damn news on," Tekuno said in resignation. "Why do you all want to watch it so badly anyway?"

"Today's a very important day," Merli replied. The other slaves nodded. Kaito grabbed Len's hand and gave him a look that made everyone else look calm in comparison.

"I can't believe you're about to be released," Kaito said.

Tekuno's eyebrow raised. "What did you say? Are they getting rid of slavery or something? I can't have that. It's not fair. Damn it, just when I was getting used to being pampered…. My parents gave me allowances but never my own servants. This is so unfair!"

A man on the television spoke in front of the House of Parliament. "Slavery has just been abolished. Slave owners are required to free their slaves by tomorrow."

"Damn it!" Tekuno yelled.

Len took a step closer to Tekuno. "I could always work for you still. I just want to be payed and treated well."

"How much do you want?"

"Not much."

"Okay, then. I'll let you work for me. You've all already proven that you can work well."

Len smiled. Despite doing the same thing he'd been doing for years, being treated like a human made him feel like he had every opportunity in the world. He was no longer limited.


End file.
